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Why was the Morocco earthquake so deadly?

The quake, which has killed thousands, was unusually large for Morocco and struck a region where most buildings are not earthquake-resilient.
  1. Michael Marshall

    1. Michael Marshall is a science journalist in Devon, UK.

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Rescue team members work among the rubble of a collapsed building.

Collapsing buildings have been responsible for many of the casualties in the Morocco earthquake. Credit: Mohamed Messara/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Morocco is dealing with the aftermath of its most devastating earthquake for decades. The tremor, which hit on 8 September in the High Atlas mountain range, around 70 kilometres southwest of Marrakesh, has killed more than 2,800 people, with thousands more injured. The death toll seems likely to rise as rescue and recovery efforts continue.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02880-3

Updates & Corrections

  • Clarification 13 September 2023: This article has been updated to make clear that the 1,739 historical earthquakes did not all happen in Morocco, but their activity was felt there.

  • Update 14 September 2023: This article was updated on 14 September with additional information from researchers in Morocco.

References

  1. Peláez, J. A. et al. Seismol. Res. Lett. 78, 614–621 (2007).

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